"Pffft—hahahaha! I can't, I'm dying here…!"
Yae Miko was laughing so hard she had to smack Ei's shoulder for support.
Ever since Su Ran had arrived in Inazuma, one absurd spectacle after another had unfolded.
If he ever left… wouldn't Inazuma become terribly boring?
For the first time, Yae Miko almost felt reluctant to see him go.
"The Geo Archon comes to Inazuma, only to be thrown in jail for impersonating the Geo Archon—this is too much!"
If one day the Raiden Shogun went to Liyue and was arrested for impersonating herself…
oh, what a sight that would be.
Still, for the oldest Archon to stumble here of all places—
Yae Miko could only marvel at Su Ran's strength.
If even Liyue's Archon could be beaten, then it was no surprise at all that Ei had fallen to him.
Raiden Makoto, on the other hand, was genuinely shocked when she heard the news.
Morax had come to Inazuma, and she had wanted to extend him the proper welcome.
Yet before she even saw him, he was already behind bars.
Now she felt too embarrassed to face him.
At present, she sat across from Su Ran, playing a quiet game of chess.
Last time, a misunderstanding had left her unsettled, unable to play her best.
Now that the misunderstanding was cleared, she was determined to rally and claim a win.
Beside them, Kamisato Ayaka fed Su Ran grapes one by one as she watched the match.
The news of the Geo Archon's imprisonment had left her stunned.
To arrest even the god of Liyue…
Su Ran truly feared nothing now.
"I really don't understand your reasoning for doing this."
Makoto could not wrap her head around Su Ran's way of thinking.
He dared to lay hands on Morax.
Would he even put Celestia itself in his eyes?
The Cryo Archon had already gained such a mighty subordinate in him.
So why continue collecting the Gnosis?
If he struck, would Celestia even survive?
The Heavenly Principles of today were not what they once had been.
After so many wars, they had long fallen into silence.
With Su Ran at her side, why should the Cryo Archon still fear them?
"I wanted to keep him here, but not let him roam free. This was the only way."
If Zhongli hadn't come, fine.
But since he did, Su Ran couldn't let him enjoy peace.
Besides, Big Duck was still eyeing the Gnosis greedily.
And right now, both were in Su Ran's possession.
That made Big Duck completely at his mercy.
The Traveler would arrive in Inazuma before long.
Mondstadt and Liyue had both been too easy for her.
If Inazuma wasn't set to "hell difficulty," wouldn't Arlecchino scare her half to death again?
"But the Rite of Descension is approaching. If Liyue cannot summon Morax, they'll investigate."
Without its lead actor, the ceremony would descend into chaos.
And if they traced it back to Inazuma… What if crowds of people came rushing in?
The dreamscape would be bursting at the seams.
"What if, instead, they summoned Osial at the Rite of Descension?" Su Ran mused aloud.
Makoto: …
Of course. Trust you to come up with something like that.
Not only had he imprisoned their Archon, now he wanted to swap him with an ancient sea monster.
If Osial really appeared, wouldn't all of Liyue collapse?
For a moment, Makoto felt almost relieved.
At least in Inazuma, Su Ran's moves were made openly, not through shadowy schemes.
When something happened, everyone knew who was responsible.
But if the same were to strike Liyue… who would they even blame?
"Why must you do all this? You seem… lonely, somehow."
Makoto met Su Ran's gaze directly, as though she wanted to peer into his very soul.
If not loneliness, what else could drive him to stir up such grand disturbances?
Could it really just be mischief?
Su Ran fell silent.
Neither admitting, nor denying.
Lonely? Yes, perhaps.
Here in Teyvat, he often felt out of place.
Those around him seemed close enough… but who could truly keep pace with him?
They only wished to remain in their corners, never yearning to move forward.
Inazuma had stagnated for millennia.
How could it compare to Snezhnaya, striding boldly ahead— though on a misguided path.
"What do you think of Teyvat's order?" he asked suddenly.
"Rigid. Stifling. Lifeless…"
Makoto had lived for centuries, and upon returning after her death, she saw Inazuma still the same.
The dream mirrored reality.
Thus she knew— Inazuma itself was unchanged.
She did not blame Ei entirely;
Ei had inherited a burden suddenly thrust upon her.
But still, Makoto could not help but be disappointed.
"If I were to broadcast a signal outward, how many do you think would come here?"
The Genius Society would surely scramble for him.
So would the Interastral Peace Corporation.
They were no gentle powers.
If such forces descended on Teyvat, what would become of this land?
"…Probably many?"
Makoto could not picture what lay beyond this world.
But surely, it was beautiful.
"Not just many. Countless. Some would be as strong as me—or stronger. Their arrival would shatter this world's balance."
He sighed.
Boring though Teyvat's order was, he did not wish to see it broken.
He liked this land as it was.
If it changed, perhaps he would not like it anymore.
"Teyvat is really so popular? So many would come?"
She struggled to imagine enough newcomers to overturn the world's order.
"No. It's not this world they want. It's me. This planet barely has any value at all."
"…You're really that popular?" Makoto could hardly believe the boy before her.
"Of course! I'm the universe's superstar—beauty and brains in one. There are too many to count lining up for my autograph. To fall into my arms is already cheap for you all."
With that, Su Ran pulled Ayaka into a sudden embrace, drawing a startled cry from the girl.
"Compared to the chaos those people would bring, you should be grateful my actions have never aimed to upend the world's balance.
So stop nitpicking already."
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